Group of Chief Scientific Advisors of the European Commission – Independent Expert Report, November 2024
One Health Governance in the European Union
Europe has taken major steps to improve coordination of responses to health crises following the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges that it brought to our health systems and societies and economies. Since then, new threats and challenges have emerged, and prevention and resilience of health systems must be strengthened through appropriate health policies. At the same time, the United Nations speaks of a triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss, and pollution and waste, which also affect human and animal health.
There is now a scientific consensus on the interdependence between the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems (including plants, fungi and bacteria). A vast majority of emerging infectious diseases originate in animals. Human activities such as changing land use and land cover are increasing the exposure of people and domestic animals to wildlife. One result of this is an increased risk of emergence and spillover of pathogens in both directions. Moreover, recent decades have brought an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, and the growing pace of climate change is having a substantial impact on the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems (including plants, fungi and bacteria). Biodiversity loss too is leading to changes in ecosystems, with additional implications for the spread of infectious agents between species. Beyond infectious diseases, social and economic environments impact the quality of water, air and soil and contribute to vulnerability and resilience of all living organisms, which is important for long-term health outcomes.